Bachelor.ie: Heineken Cup 2013/2014: Irish Force Still Present

With the taste of excitement still present from the battlefield down under, the beasts of men have returned to their respective province teams.  The Heineken Cup. The elite competition in rugby where power houses of teams administer frightening levels of passion and skill. This year will bring as much in adrenaline as it will in considerations.  Questions will be asked of the Irish representatives, well not so much Connacht, but this new chapter will bring new tests that will have strong indications on where the future of Ireland lies in Heineken Cups to come.

Pool 1: Leinster Rugby

·      Castres Olympique

·      Northampton Saints

·      Ospreys

Leinster have arguably the toughest pool of the Irish provinces. The Blues face a challenge with no Jonny Sexton in the swan song season of Brian O’Driscoll as they line up against a collection of unflinching oppositions. Ospreys have been the bogey team for Leinster in recent clashes, having being beaten by them twice in the Rabo Direct Pro 12 finals both of which were in the RDS.  They won’t fear Leinster, or playing in front of the Dublin crowd and will bring the toughest test. Castre Olympique like most French teams are a mixed bag with a variety of approaches to rely on making them somewhat unpredictable. They will keep focused not chancing a weakened side and attempt their on revolution on the field. The Northampton Saints are a side to be reckoned with particularly at home. With a strong scrum and physicality they will be hard to play and will attempt to bully Leinster up front (Lions sensation George North will be someone to keep an eye on), however will be limited in their performances out wide.

Though Leinster are not the storm they have been in recent years, their defense is one to be wary of and there is no team more exciting in attack. Going forward with the ball, pushing, pin point passing and runs is the bread and butter of this group of players with the likes of Cian Healy, Sean O’Brien and Jamie Heaslip. BOD will be needed for the magic only he can provide and though while Ian Madigan has proven he can play at this level, he is no replacement to the prodigious Sexton. If the Leinster line out holds strong, they are capable of topping this group, but it will not be a push over for even the highest ranked team in European Rugby.

Pool 3: Connacht Rugby

·      Sarecens

·      Toulouse

·      Zebre

When it comes to battle lines drawn on grass, Connacht are the forgotten province in Ireland. Don’t expect anything from them. They will play with pride but in the end they don’t have the talent to tackle the forces of nature that are Toulouse and Sarecens. However, with Italian team Zebre they stand a very good chance of at least winning 2 games. Which as this would be the first time this has happened in the Heineken Cup, there is still opportunity for some history to be made.  The silver lining for Connacht is that in Galway every other team is a fish out of water. Top sides have been slain here in the wind and torrential rains at levels only Connacht are accustomed to, and it wouldn’t be surprising that should the season bring another series of monsoons the team from out west could keep their head above the tide.  But the main two fixtures here are the Tolouse versus Sarecens games. Whomever comes out on top of these two will win the pool.

Pool 5: Ulster Rugby

·      Benetton Treviso

·      Leicester Tigers

·      Montpellier

Ulster have proven their talent in recent years hasn’t been a flash in the pan and the return of the prodigal son Tommy Bowe has served them well. The Ulster experiment is up and running, it works, and the rugby world knows it. Treviso here will be the whipping boys of the group. Expect all three teams to beat them both home and away. Montpellier are a strong French side but not the strongest, and it is well within both Ulster and Leicester’s skill set to beat them. Bluntly put, Ulster could win this. Last year’s performance announced that they are a strong European rugby side, and are capable of winning away on English and French shores.  

Formerly in the shadow of giants Leinster and Munster, it is an exciting time for Ulster emerging as Ireland’s third heavyweight. Ulster’s clashes with Leicester will be the deciders of the pool, with Geoff Parling (stand in for Paul O’Connell on this year’s Lions Tour) bashing in the middle of the park. Where he’ll have to keep an eye on Ulster Hooker Rory Best. The Tigers have a strong forward pack but should The Ulstermen keep their cool, this is theirs for the taking.

Pool 6: Munster Rugby

·      Edinburgh Rugby

·      Gloucester Rugby

·      Perpignan

The red army have an interesting balance in their squad this season. A potent mix of strength, experience and speed. This is a group that a team of Munster’s talents can walk. Munster at home in the Heineken Cup are machines, having only lost twice in sixteen years. Within the walls of their Fortress Thomand, it can be expected that Munster will beat all three of their opponents without many blood stains. Edinburgh are not at their level, Gloucester it must be said are the weakest of all English teams, and Perpignan having last been Runners-ups in the Heineken Cup 2003 (their highest placement), they don’t strike the same fear other French teams are capable of.

Munster will more than likely beat at least two of these threats away by playing a tight forward game, followed by fluid back play when needs be. With the engine room of the team “lock’d” up by Donncha O’Callaghan and Ryan along with the manic aggression of Paul O’Connell, Munster will tractor their way to the top of this pool. And with youth the likes of Simon Zebo dancing down the wings, this team is guaranteed to gain the ground needed to flood the scoreboard. Expect Munster to get a home Quarter Final and possibly going all the way.

Heineken Cup starts 11th of October